Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): The Economic Foundation of Military Small Multilateral Transformation into a Convention Organization

This paper examines the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) as the economic underpinning of U.S. military minilateralism and its impacts on China. Operational since 2024, IPEF seeks to bolster U.S. economic leadership in the Indo-Pacific via four pillars: trade, supply chains, clean energy, and anti-corruption. The study identifies structural flaws in IPEF, noting its incompatibility with Trump’s pragmatism, risking suspension or termination. For China, challenges lie in fierce competition, complex geopolitics, and rule-making contests. Using textual and comparative analyses, the research contrasts IPEF with CPTPP and USMCA, revealing its geopolitical essence and limitations. It argues China should uphold multilateralism while building open, inclusive regional cooperation models.